Rason & Eliza - Cee Bowerman Page 0,58
trial?”
“I’d like to, but I haven’t talked to Rason about it. This has got to end soon. He’s going stir crazy over there. He’s so depressed that it’s hard to even get him to talk on the phone for very long.”
“You’re stuck here and I don’t see you whining,” Hank muttered.
“She goes from here to Nicole’s and then over to see Sierra and Rowdy. She hangs out at the shelter with me for hours and then has your company when she’s here,” Nicole scolded. “He’s stuck in a stranger’s house alone for 10 hours a day. Every day for a month now.”
“Shit,” Hank said, clearly ashamed. “I didn’t think of it that way. Poor guy’s in jail and he’s the victim in all this.”
“Exactly,” I said. “That’s it exactly.”
“Let’s have dinner here on Friday evening, whether the trial is over or not,” Hank suggested. “It’ll be the weekend and Reba’s old man can stay close to her at the house. He’ll have to anyway while Rason’s at the courthouse.”
“That’s a good idea,” Nicole agreed. “We’ll invite Poppy, you guys can come, we’ll set the dogs to guard, lock the kids outside, and have dinner.”
“I think that’s illegal, babe.” Hank grinned.
“Honey, I’ve been with you long enough to know that something’s only illegal if you get caught.”
◆◆◆
“Are you at least a little bit excited?” I had called Rason after dinner tonight, hoping he was in a better mood than earlier today.
“I am.” It may have been wishful thinking, but I really think I heard the hope in his voice. “This could all be over tomorrow. I’m looking at it that way.”
“I’m going to meet you at the courthouse at 8:45. Hank’s going to drop me off. Janis has a well-child visit and he wants to go with Nicole. He’s convinced she’s trying to form words now.”
“Oh my God.” Rason laughed. “She can’t even sit up yet, can she?”
“No, she can’t, but she makes all sorts of sounds when you play certain music, so he thinks she’s trying to communicate.”
“For such a rough looking man, your brother is a total softie.”
“Well, don’t tell anyone. He’s got a reputation to uphold,” I said, feigning defense.
“I bet that soft side only applies to his wife and baby. Well, and you and your sister.”
“He loves his friends and their wives.”
“Okay, so he’s just an all around softie. I see it now.” Rason and I laughed together for a second before he said, “I can’t wait to see you again.”
“I need you to talk to Mace and Reba about something before you go to bed tonight. Hank’s cooking dinner tomorrow night and invited you to stay for the weekend if the trial rolls over into next week. If it doesn’t, we’ll have dinner with my family and then go to my house.”
“I could be free to roam around in less than 24 hours.”
“What will be the first thing you do?”
“Take my girl for a walk and enjoy the sunshine,” Rason said sincerely. “We’ll go visit Atlas and Jaz at their new place and then go see the guys at work.”
“That all sounds good.”
“That’s Saturday. On Sunday, I’m going to take you out to lunch and then we’ll just play it by ear from there. What do you think?”
“Well, somewhere in there we need to get you some more clothes,” I reminded him. “But the rest of that sounds perfect.”
“I don’t want to get too excited, but it’s hard not to.”
“You should be hopeful, but subdued about it, you know? It’s bad luck to be too excited, I think.”
“Okay, I’ll chill with the happiness and start moping around again.”
“It’s been a roller coaster, huh?”
Rason laughed. “It has. I bet I’ve been a complete fucking joy to talk to every day.”
“What if you move in with me and realize you really don’t like me at all?” I blurted out suddenly. “Then what?”
“Eliza. Really?”
“I’m serious. The majority of our relationship has been spent apart. What if you don’t like me as much once we’re together everyday?”
“What if you realize I smell and you want me out of your house?”
“I’ll just tell you to take a shower and leave your smelly shoes out on the porch.”
“My feet don’t stink. At least, I don’t think they do.”
“I think you’d know if they did. But no, you don’t have any odd odors that are going to turn me off. Or at least any I’ve encountered yet.”
“This is going to happen, Eliza. And it’s going to be great.”
“I think so too.”
◆◆◆
“What did the